Ride one of the world's oldest pilgrimage routes across northern Spain

The Camino de Santiago de Compostela across northern Spain is one of the world's oldest pilgrimage routes. Also known as 'The Way of St James', it originated in the region of Galicia where the tomb of the Apostle James the Great was discovered in the 9th Century. The way is marked by the symbol of the scallop shell and the grooves that join together are said to represent the many different ways pilgrim's travel from to reach Santiago. It's the Gothic cathedrals, medieval monasteries and miles of beautiful rural scenery that make this section of the ancient route so popular.

Itinerary

Start Leon. We may have time to visit the city's beautiful gothic cathedral and stroll around its charming winding narrow streets.See more images and videos

2Day 2Ride across the plains of Castille through countryside and quaint villages to Astorga.

We head into the countryside riding across the plains of Castilla through cultivated countryside and quaint villages, with adobe houses and wine caves. We will take lunch in Hospital del Orbigo and on entering the village we cross a stunning mediaeval bridge (one of the longest pilgrimage bridges in Spain). We then ride the final 15km to the beautiful walled town of Astorga, with views of the mountains of Leon in the distance. See more images and videos

3Day 3Climb into the mountains of Leon to the Monte de la Cruz de Ferro; descend to Molinaseca.

Today's ride is the most beautiful of the trip as we leave the Castillan plains behind and climb gradually into the mountains of Leon to the Monte de la Cruz de Ferro (1505m). En route we pass through Castrillo de los Polvazares, known for its very special architecture created by strong orange coloured stone. After riding through the charming mountain village of Acebo (the main street is a straight line of beautiful balconied houses) we enjoy the rest of our descent into Molinaseca, with stunning views of the surrounding valley. See more images and videos

4Day 4Ride to Villafranca with views across the valleys of Galicia and mountains of Leon. Long ascent to the village of O'Cebreiro.

The highlight today is the ride to the beautiful town of Villafranca with stunning views across the green valleys of Galicia and wooded mountains of Leon. After the first easy and mainly flat 25km we have a short climb to Villafranca, which is worth a look for its many monuments and picturesque town square. Once we reach the bottom of the valley on the foothills of Monte de O'Cebreiro we will have a rest before our final push to the top of the mountain and the small village of O'Cebreiro. Here we will be able to appreciate wonderful views of the valleys that surround this peak and admire the charming slate roofed black houses.
Due to the limited accommodation capacity in O'Cebreiro, on certain departures we may have to stay in the village of Herrerias and cycle up to O'Cebreiro in the morning of Day 5.See more images and videos

As we enter Galicia the landscape changes dramatically and the area is populated by a number of traditional agricultural villages. Each family has small plots of land, which they cultivate for their own vegetables and we will pass by many of the locals working the land and tending to their cattle. As well as a change in culture, landscape and language, the gastronomy of Galicia is famous for using products of high quality and preparing them in simple and not elaborate, but delicious ways. We have lunch in Samos, home to one of the oldest monasteries in Spain, and cycle through chestnut forests to Sarria.
PREMIUM DEPARTURES: we end the day in Portomarin.

6Day 6Cycle along tree-lined paths to Portomarin, rebuilt on a hilltop in the 1950s in order to construct a reservoir; continue to Palas de Rei.

Today's ride runs through beautiful rural Galician countryside and along tree-lined paths to the town of Portomarin, which was rebuilt on a hilltop in the 1950s in order to construct a reservoir. After lunch, a 13km climb, followed by a welcome 12km downhill, takes us to Palas de Rei, a small town full of the pilgrim spirit.
PREMIUM DEPARTURES: we end the day near Arzúa. See more images and videos

7Day 7Short ascents and descents to Monte de Gozo; follow the pilgrims' route to the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela.

Our final day involves a number of short ascents and descents as far as Monte de Gozo. From here, as pilgrims have done for centuries, we wind our way through the city's streets and crowds to Plaza del Obradoiro, dominated by the impressive Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela.
We then move onto the Pilgrim's Office for those who wish to obtain the 'compostela' (certificate of accomplishment).

Your images

Adult Group

This is a small group adult holiday. The group is usually between 4 and 16 in size, with an average of 12 like-minded clients booking individually, in a couple or as friends together.

Activity level

You are moderately fit and have an interest in remote or challenging environments. Some previous experience is required for activity based trips.

What's included

What's included

All breakfasts

All accommodation (see below)

All transport and listed activities

Tour leader throughout

Flights from London (if booking incl. flights)

What's not included

Travel insurance

Bike hire (available locally from GBP85 paid on booking)

Single accommodation (available on request from GBP160/Premium departures from GBP270)

Visas or vaccinations

Accommodation details

Casa Rurales & Hotels

7 nights accommodation, in the smaller villages you will use characterful family-run ‘casa rurales’ and in larger towns you will be accommodated in larger hotels. All will have en suite facilities and will be well situated beside the actual Camino de Santiago.

Essential info

Vaccinations and Visa
No visa required for British passport holders.
There are no specific health risks. Holiday style

The riding is generally undemanding and on a mixture of quiet minor roads, cycle paths and non-technical tracks. As we are passing through rural communities the roads are quiet with very little traffic, however you will be sharing the route with a number of walkers and cyclists all on their way to Santiago de Compostela. There is one long but gradual climb on the second cycling day of the trip and one steep 8 km climb on the third cycling day, but the support vehicle will be on hand if you prefer to opt out. Alternatively, there is the opportunity to walk along the hiking track. There are a few cobbled sections where you should take care, particularly in wet conditions. This trip is ideal for the occasional cyclists who exercise regularly.
This trip is classified road and graded B/C. 6 days cycling, average 54 km/day (33 miles), 75% vehicle support, as vehicle cannot follow the group on some off-road sections.
Terrain and route: 50% on quiet minor roads, 50% on a mixture of cycle paths, non-technical tracks and a few off-road sections.
If you have any queries about the difficulty of the trip please do not hesitate to call us.
Please note that wearing a cycling helmet is compulsory on this trip.

Eating & drinking

All breakfasts are included.
Breakfasts usually consist of coffee and toasts. However, there are plenty of opportunities to stop for a coffee or a snack along the way.
Vegetarians: Please be aware that a meat and fish diet is the norm in Northern Spain. Many vegetarians have not experienced any problems, however please be prepared to be flexible.
Please note that mealtimes in Spain are later than in many other countries; dinner is usually taken between 21:00 and 21.30.

Trip notes

Download the detailed trip notes for everything you could possibly want to know about this trip, including
detailed itinerary and full kit list

Weather & seasonality

In April and October expect temperatures in the 40-60degF/5-15degC with high chance of rain showers though it could also be simply partly cloudy and more temperate. Temperatures in May and September tend to be about 10degF/5degC warmer than April and October. Expect a combination of sun, showers and clouds. July and August are typically sunny and warm (60-80degF/15-25degC).

Gallery

Reviews & community

This was a terrific cycling holiday with some challenging and varied riding days. The guides, Nacho and Xavier, were well organized as well as being humorous and entertaining. Each day brought different challenges whether that be riding a trail that was more akin to a mountain bike trail or the 6km killer hill that was so thick with fog at tge end that it felt eerie or even the 14km downhill which was a great opportunity to get in touch with your inner child.

What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

Climbing the 6km killer hill that was prefaced by a 4km hill that was challenging in its own right. It was at the end of a 62km day and after backing up from such a miserable previous day it was quite a euphoric feeling charging up that hill ( I made it a workout and gave myself a time to do it in)

What did you think of your group leader?

Nacho was terrific. A great personality who was good for a laugh but also took his role as leader very seriously.
His offsider Xavier, was a great back up and the two of them made a great team.

Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

Make sure you train properly. If you are coming out of an Australian winter try and do at least 3 Spin sessions a week. If you can get out complement the Spin classes with some hill training on a real bike. If you are a fair weathered cyclist and you like to ride around a lake on a Sunday this isn't the trip for you . Like most things in life you only get out of it what you put in. Most people don't do strenuous cycling 6 days in a row let alone challenging hills that you will encounter on this trip. Have a coke at lunch time too it helps you get through the afternoon.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

I think Exodus should provide an exercise program in their trip notes so that people understand what they will be in for. The tour isn't a race but it's better to be fit so you enjoy everything the tour has to offer.
The mountain bikes we had were better than expected.
The hotels were also better than the brochure suggested.

I didn't know whether to go on this trip selfguided or guided and I'm glad I chose the guided option because I would have missed so much by myself. The two guides were a fantasic team and took us to the best restaurants , on the best routes and to the best places. The best holiday I've ever had. Perfect weather, good company in a small group of 8, fantastic cheap food with many local specialities and terrfic varied cycling. As soon as I got back home I booked a similar trip to Italy with Exodus.

What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

Arriving at the top of the Monte de la Cruz de Ferro where the guides had organised a picnic of local produce that was more like a banquet.

What did you think of your group leader?

Fantastic, informative, caring, passionate about his country and very funny.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Loved this trip. All-round, this is one of my favourite holidays for quite some time. Great country, great food, great cameraderie, some challenging riding, plus the sense of a journey which makes the trip really special. And we were lucky with the weather.

What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

We were a small group (five) - I took my inspiration from the other people on the trip who were all a bit better than me and helped me along the way.
The off-road section on the morning of the penultimate day - this was harder than anything I had done before and the scenery was spectacular.
The end of the final push up to Santiago!

What did you think of your group leader?

Dani was a great leader. He constantly adapted the route to give us more/less off-road biking according to our pace. I learnt a lot and will be much more confident about tackling hills in future. Jose was in a driver/support role for our week but I would also have complete confidence in him.
A local guide really makes the difference with food tasting. We got some preferential treatment and delicacies from the restaurants along the camino who all know our guides very well. Try a bit of everything!

Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

Get your pilgrim passport stamped - it is a nice momento of the trip.
The toughest climb is the road up to O'Cebreiro. There is an option to take the walkers' route to the summit village instead which two of us did and enjoyed.
Consider an extra night in Santiago - we flew back on Sunday from the local airport.
Go to the Friday night mass in Santiago with the Botafumeiro - none of our party were doing the camino for religious reasons but it was an insight into how much the pilgrimage means for those who were.
Packing cubes - I'm a recent convert! They really help for a trip like this when you are on the move all the time.
Take your own water bottle as these are not supplied.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Questions about your trip

Pick your question

Can you always guarantee a bike available to hire locally?

‘In-country’ bike hire should be arranged at the time of booking, and the cost will be added to your invoice. Please note that there are a limited number of bikes available locally. We always have to match a person's height to the bike frame size and, as there are a limited amount of each size, we cannot always guarantee availability of the correct frame. Therefore it is recommended you add the local bike hire as early as possible.

Andy Ross - Product Manager

Do the MWC bikes have luggage racks?

Yes, you have one pannier bag each.

Bethany Lees - European Operations

Do we get the pilgims passport on this trip?

Yes. On the first day the group will be issued with the pilgrim’s passport, which will be stamped along the way. On arrival in Santiago (usually at 5-ish in the afternoon), the leader will take you all to ‘Casa de Dean’ where you can join the queue and claim your Compostela certificate.

Anna Dambrosio - Trip Manager

Some days look quite long. Do we need to be experienced cyclists?

No. The leader carefully breaks up the distances covered with refreshment stops and lunch. The terrain will vary but clients are always free to hop on the support vehicle that shadows the whole group, if they feel like a break. Saying that, you do cover more ground than you think, especially with a tailwind behind you!

Will Shoubridge - Agency Sales

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